Bhutan Bird Checklist — oh! Bhutan

Pheasants, Partridges & Quail

Species	Status	Habitat	Conservation
Blood PheasantIthaginis cruentus	Resident	High alpine, 3,000–4,500m
Satyr TragopanTragopan satyra	Resident	Temperate forest, 2,000–3,500m	NT
Himalayan MonalLophophorus impejanus	Resident	Subalpine scrub, 2,500–4,500m
Kalij PheasantLophura leucomelanos	Resident	Subtropical & temperate forest
Chestnut-breasted PartridgeArborophila mandellii	Resident	Dense broadleaf forest	VU
Hill PartridgeArborophila torqueola	Resident	Subtropical forest
Rufous-throated PartridgeArborophila rufogularis	Resident	Subtropical broadleaf forest

Cranes, Waders & Shorebirds

Species	Status	Habitat	Conservation
Black-necked CraneGrus nigricollis	Winter visitor	Phobjikha valley · Nov–Feb	VU
Common CraneGrus grus	Winter visitor	Phobjikha valley · Nov–Feb
IbisbillIbidorhyncha struthersii	Resident	Shingle riverbeds, 1,200–4,400m
River LapwingVanellus duvaucelii	Resident	Gravel riverbeds & sandbanks	NT
Solitary SnipeGallinago solitaria	Winter visitor	Marshy ground, stream edges

Herons & Egrets

Species	Status	Habitat	Conservation
White-bellied HeronArdea insignis	Resident	Large rivers — Punakha, Wangdue	CR
Grey HeronArdea cinerea	Resident	Rivers, wetlands
Purple HeronArdea purpurea	Summer visitor	Wetlands & riverside
Black-crowned Night HeronNycticorax nycticorax	Resident	Rivers & ponds

Raptors — Eagles, Hawks & Falcons

Species	Status	Habitat	Conservation
Lammergeier (Bearded Vulture)Gypaetus barbatus	Resident	High mountain cliffs & valleys	NT
Himalayan GriffonGyps himalayensis	Resident	High altitude, cliff faces	NT
Golden EagleAquila chrysaetos	Resident	High altitude open country
Black EagleIctinaetus malaiensis	Resident	Broadleaf & mixed forest
Mountain Hawk-EagleNisaetus nipalensis	Resident	Montane forest
Crested Serpent EagleSpilornis cheela	Resident	Forest, forest edge
Pied FalconetMicrohierax melanoleucos	Resident	Open forest & edges, east Bhutan
Eurasian HobbyFalco subbuteo	Summer visitor	Open country, forest edge

Owls

Species	Status	Habitat
Spot-bellied Eagle-OwlBubo nipalensis	Resident	Dense subtropical forest
Tawny Fish OwlKetupa flavipes	Resident	Forest near streams
Himalayan OwlStrix nivicolum	Resident	Temperate broadleaf forest
Asian Barred OwletGlaucidium cuculoides	Resident	Forest & scrub
Collared OwletTaenioptynx brodiei	Resident	Broadleaf & conifer forest

Hornbills, Trogons & Rollers

Species	Status	Habitat	Conservation
Great HornbillBuceros bicornis	Resident	Subtropical broadleaf forest	VU
Rufous-necked HornbillAceros nipalensis	Resident	Subtropical forest, eastern Bhutan	VU
Ward's TrogonHarpactes wardi	Resident	Dense broadleaf forest, Haa & east	NT
Red-headed TrogonHarpactes erythrocephalus	Resident	Subtropical broadleaf forest

Kingfishers

Species	Status	Habitat	Conservation
Crested KingfisherMegaceryle lugubris	Resident	Fast-flowing rivers
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis	Resident	Streams & ponds
Blyth's KingfisherAlcedo hercules	Resident	Forest streams, lowlands	NT
Stork-billed KingfisherPelargopsis capensis	Resident	Lowland rivers & lakes

Nuthatches

Species	Status	Habitat	Conservation
Beautiful NuthatchSitta formosa	Resident	Broadleaf forest, Trashiyangtse	VU
White-tailed NuthatchSitta himalayensis	Resident	Temperate forest
Velvet-fronted NuthatchSitta frontalis	Resident	Subtropical broadleaf forest
Chestnut-vented NuthatchSitta nagaensis	Resident	Temperate conifer forest

Laughingthrushes & Babblers

Species	Status	Habitat
Bhutan LaughingthrushTrochalopteron imbricatum	Resident	Temperate forest — near endemic
Blue-winged LaughingthrushTrochalopteron squamatum	Resident	Temperate broadleaf forest
Striped LaughingthrushGrammatoptila striata	Resident	Temperate forest understorey
Scaly LaughingthrushTrochalopteron subunicolor	Resident	Subalpine scrub & forest
Grey-sided LaughingthrushTrochalopteron elliotii	Resident	Eastern temperate forest
Red-faced LiocichlaLiocichla phoenicea	Resident	Dense undergrowth, forest edges
Silver-eared MesiaLeiothrix argentauris	Resident	Subtropical forest understorey
Fire-tailed MyzornisMyzornis pyrrhoura	Resident	Subalpine forest & rhododendron

Flycatchers, Thrushes & Chats

Species	Status	Habitat
Rufous-bellied NiltavaNiltava sundara	Resident	Temperate broadleaf forest
Verditer FlycatcherEumyias thalassinus	Resident	Open forest & edges
Blue-throated FlycatcherCyornis rubeculoides	Summer visitor	Subtropical forest near streams
GrandalaGrandala coelicolor	Resident	High alpine, 3,500–5,000m
WallcreeperTichodroma muraria	Winter visitor	Cliffs & rocky walls
Blue-capped Rock ThrushMonticola cinclorhynchus	Summer visitor	Open rocky forest
White-capped RedstartPhoenicurus leucocephalus	Resident	Fast-flowing streams
Plumbeous Water RedstartPhoenicurus fuliginosus	Resident	Rocky rivers & streams

Minivets, Drongos & Ioras

Species	Status	Habitat
Scarlet MinivetPericrocotus flammeus	Resident	Broadleaf forest canopy
Long-tailed MinivetPericrocotus ethologus	Resident	Conifer & mixed forest
Greater Racket-tailed DrongoDicrurus paradiseus	Resident	Subtropical forest
Spangled DrongoDicrurus hottentottus	Resident	Forest edges & clearings

Rosefinches, Finches & Buntings

Species	Status	Habitat
Dark-rumped RosefinchCarpodacus edwardsii	Resident	High altitude scrub & forest
Pink-browed RosefinchCarpodacus rodochroa	Resident	Subalpine forest & scrub
Spot-winged RosefinchCarpodacus rodopeplus	Resident	Subalpine scrub & rhododendron
White-browed RosefinchCarpodacus thura	Resident	High altitude scrub
Blanford's RosefinchCarpodacus rubescens	Resident	High altitude, 3,000–4,500m
Alpine AccentorPrunella collaris	Resident	Alpine meadows & rocky ground

Sunbirds & Spiderhunters

Species	Status	Habitat
Fire-tailed SunbirdAethopyga ignicauda	Resident	Subalpine rhododendron
Mrs Gould's SunbirdAethopyga gouldiae	Resident	Temperate forest
Green-tailed SunbirdAethopyga nipalensis	Resident	Broadleaf & mixed forest
Streaked SpiderhunterArachnothera magna	Resident	Subtropical & tropical forest

Special & Localised Species

Species	Status	Habitat	Conservation
Bengal FloricanHoubaropsis bengalensis	Resident	Royal Manas — tall grasslands	CR
Rufous-throated Wren-babblerSpelaeornis caudatus	Resident	Dense undergrowth, eastern Bhutan	NT
Himalayan CutiaCutia nipalensis	Resident	Broadleaf forest, eastern Bhutan
White-naped YuhinaYuhina bakeri	Resident	Temperate forest — near endemic
Slender-billed Scimitar BabblerPomatorhinus superciliaris	Resident	Dense forest undergrowth
Rufous-necked HornbillAceros nipalensis	Resident	Subtropical forest, eastern Bhutan	VU
Beautiful SibiaHeterophasia pulchella	Resident	Temperate broadleaf forest
Crimson-breasted WoodpeckerDendrocoptes cathpharius	Resident	Temperate broadleaf forest

Species data sourced from the National Biodiversity Centre of Bhutan (nbc.gov.bt) — 736 species recorded in total.
This checklist covers key target and commonly encountered species. A full species list is available through the Bhutan Biodiversity Portal.
All birding in Bhutan requires a licensed local guide — we arrange this for all tours.
Best overall seasons: Spring (March–May) and Autumn (September–November). Black-necked Crane requires a winter visit (November–February).
Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary requires a special permit — arranged by oh! Bhutan in advance.
The White-bellied Heron (fewer than 60 individuals globally) is best seen along the Mo Chhu and Po Chhu rivers near Punakha.

Bhutan Bird ChecklistField Record